Furnishings
for Care and Learning
|
| |
Furniture Safety
- When first considering
how to plan a successful environment for children, you need to make
sure that safety is a priority.
- Regularly check
for sharp edges on furniture, sheets and towels are washed regularly,
and tables are cleaned after meals and art activities.
|
Providing Furniture
- A second consideration
for furnishings, is providing enough furniture for children to eat,
sleep, play, and store their belongings.
- Some of your own
home furnishing can be used for children’s daily activities such
as coffee tables and kitchen tables for drawing or crafts and couches
and large chairs for reading.
- It is always good
to provide furniture that is child-size such as table and chairs. When
sitting in a chair, the child’s feet should rest on the floor and
their elbows above the table.
- If you cannot
provide child-size furniture, make the current furniture suitable for
the children by placing pillows in chairs to raise the children closer
to the table or by using booster seats.
- Always make sure
to provide storage for the child’s belongings. This storage could
be shelving or coat racks that the children use to place their coats
and bags on.
|
Comfort
- The furnishings
should not crowd the space that is being used for child care. This will
give children more space and comfort to play.
- Make sure that
the furniture is soft and plush such as pillows, beanbags, padded chairs
and rockers that can be used throughout the day.
- Make sure the
play area is well lit and the temperature is at a comfortable setting
for naps and playing.
- It is good to
provide carpeting or padded rugs in the play areas so that it will help
prevent bumps and bruises.
- For infants, to
provide comfort, it is best to hold and rock the infants. Also, make
sure to play with the infants using soft toys.
- It is also good
to include soft, plush toys for everyday use for all children.
- When arranging
furniture, make sure that you can see all the children at all times.
This helps you in preventing children from getting into things they
should not get into or hurting themselves.
|
Child-Related Displays
- It is always good
to have pictures hanging on the walls for the children to see. Make
sure that these pictures are at the child’s eye level.
- Pictures can include
the child’s artwork, pictures of the children playing in your home,
or any store-bought pictures.
- Store-bought pictures
can be posters with the ABC’s, nursery rhymes, or numbers.
- It is always good
to display the children’s artwork. This shows that you are proud
of them and you can use these in teaching the children.
- Always make sure
to change out the displays monthly so that the children will have something
new to look at.
|
Indoor Space Arrangement
- Make sure to provide
enough space for the children to play. This allows the children to learn
more about the environment they are in.
- If you have children
who are starting to crawl, make sure that all small objects and breakables
are placed high upon a shelf.
- Be sure to have
a variety of toys out for the children to play with such as dolls, blocks,
and books. It is also good to have storage containers labeled with toys
close to the floor so that the children can pick and choose their own
toys to play with. The labeled containers will help teach the children
to put their toys up in the right place.
- Always make sure
that the play areas are clean, open, well lit, and at a good temperature
for the children
- Do not confine
infants and toddlers to certain area for most of the day. Allow them
to play. If you confine a child to an area, they can not learn through
exploration.
- It is good to
allow all of the children to play at the same time. This will teach
them to have patience and to interact with children of their own age
better.
|
